Resource-staggered coded multiple access

Abstract

A wireless communications network includes a base station configured for operating a wireless communications network cell of the wireless communications network so as to provide communication in a plurality of slots. Each slot includes a plurality of associated physical resources. The wireless communications network includes at least one transmitter configured for transmitting a signal in the wireless communications network cell by mapping the signal into a number of part signals and for transmitting the number of part signals with a corresponding number of associated slots using a corresponding number of sets of physical resources, each set containing at least a subset of the associated plurality of physical resources of the slot. Each set of physical resources is received at the base station shifted with a set-individual offset and with respect to a synchronized start of the slot.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless communications network comprising:
 a base station configured for operating a wireless communications network cell of the wireless communications network so as to provide communication in a plurality of slots, each slot comprising a plurality of associated physical resources; 
 at least one transmitter configured for transmitting a signal in the wireless communications network cell by mapping the signal into a number of part signals and for transmitting the number of part signals with a corresponding number of associated slots using a corresponding number of sets of physical resources, each set comprising at least a subset of the associated plurality of physical resources of the slot; 
 wherein each set of physical resources is received at the base station shifted with a set-individual offset with respect to a synchronized start of the slot. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-individual offset comprises an offset in time and/or in frequency. 
     
     
       3. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-individual offset is set such that in a two-dimensional time-frequency grid a center of gravity of the set of resources is within the associated slot. 
     
     
       4. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-individual offset comprises a time offset and wherein the time offset is larger than −0.5 of a time duration of the slot and smaller than +0.5 of the time duration. 
     
     
       5. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-individual offset comprises a frequency offset and wherein the frequency offset is larger than −0.5 of a frequency bandwidth of a carrier and smaller than +0.5 of the frequency bandwidth. 
     
     
       6. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-individual offset is a non-zero offset selected individually for each set within a frame comprising a number of slots. 
     
     
       7. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a network controller being in communication with the base station is configured for determining an upper bound and a lower bound of the set-individual offset and wherein the transmitter is configured for determining the set-individual offset so as to be within the lower bound and the upper bound; and/or 
 wherein the network controller is configured for determining the set-individual offset, wherein the base station is configured for transmitting a signal to the transmitter, indicating the determined set-individual offset, wherein the transmitter is configured for applying the set-individual offset according to the signal; and/or 
 wherein the transmitter is configured for selecting the set-individual offset randomly. 
 
     
     
       8. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein a network controller being in communication with the base station is configured for determining a plurality of sets of offsets, each set of offsets comprising a plurality of offset-values associated to a plurality of sets of physical resources, wherein the transmitter is configured for selecting one of the plurality of sets of offsets and to apply the set-individual offsets to a plurality of sets of physical resources within a frame comprising a number of slots. 
     
     
       9. The wireless communications network of  claim 8 , wherein the each of the sets of offset-values comprises a unique offset-pattern associated to the set of offset-values. 
     
     
       10. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the second part signal is at least a first re-transmission of the first part signal, wherein the set-individual offset is selected such that the set-individual offset applied to the second part-signal is associated with a number of prior transmissions. 
     
     
       11. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein a network controller being in communication with the base station is configured for determining the set-individual offset of a first slot or last slot of a frame so as to exceed the frame. 
     
     
       12. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured for operating the wireless communications network cell according to a sparse allocation scheme and/or wherein the transmitter is configured for using the slots according to the sparse allocation scheme. 
     
     
       13. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the base station is configured for operating the wireless communications network cell according to a non-orthogonal multiple access scheme and/or wherein the transmitter is configured for using the slots according to the non-orthogonal multiple access scheme. 
     
     
       14. The wireless communications network of  claim 13 , wherein the base station is configured for operating the wireless communications network according to a frame structure, each frame comprising a number of slots, wherein the non-orthogonal multiple access scheme provides for a plurality of layers, each layer comprising a subset of the number of slots, wherein the transmitter is configured for using at least one layer for transmission. 
     
     
       15. The wireless communications network of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter is configured for using at least a first and a second layer within a frame. 
     
     
       16. The wireless communications network of  claim 1 , wherein the set-specific offset is defined for a group of transmitters, the group being formed based on at least one of:
 an application of the transmitter; 
 a device type of the transmitter; and 
 a service provided by the transmitter. 
 
     
     
       17. A wireless Communications network comprising:
 a base station configured for operating a wireless communications network cell of the wireless communications network so as to provide communication in a plurality of slots, each slot comprising a plurality of associated physical resources; 
 at least one transmitter configured for transmitting a signal in the wireless communications network cell by mapping the signal into a number of part signals and for transmitting the number of part signals associated to a corresponding number of slots using a corresponding number of sets of physical resources, each set comprising at least a subset of the associated plurality of physical resources of the slot; 
 wherein each set of physical resources is received at the base station shifted with a frequency offset with respect to a synchronized minimum frequency of the slot. 
 
     
     
       18. A transmitter comprising:
 an interface configured for transmitting a signal in a wireless communications network cell of a wireless communications network; 
 a control unit configured for mapping the signal into a number of part signals and for transmitting the number of part signals with a corresponding number of associated slots of the wireless communications network cell using a corresponding number of sets of physical resources, each set comprising at least a subset of the associated plurality of physical resources of the slot; 
 wherein the control unit is configured for transmitting the number of part signals with a set-individual offset such that each set of physical resources is shifted with respect to a synchronized start of the slot. 
 
     
     
       19. Method for operating a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
 operating a wireless communications network cell of the wireless communications network so as to provide communication in a plurality of slots such that each slot comprises a plurality of associated physical resources; 
 transmitting a signal in the wireless communications network cell by mapping the signal into a number of part signals; 
 transmitting the number of part signals with a corresponding number of associated slots using a corresponding number of sets of physical resources, each set comprising at least a subset of the associated plurality of physical resources of the slot; 
 such that each set of physical resources is received at a base station shifted with a set-individual offset with respect to a synchronized start of the slot. 
 
     
     
       20. The wireless communications network of  claim 19 , wherein the frequency offset is a set-individual offset.